text:
In an earlier discussion about commenting Kris mentioned using pingback, but...
Spam is a problematic issue. I had to enable comment moderation not because the Captcha was too easy to come by, but because apparently real people are adding genuine comments and are actively abusing the URL field to point to their commercial (or virus-infected) websites.
These comments are looking pretty normal, thanking me in person for a specific article about a subject or even pointing out an issue. Hardly the work of an automated process. These people are either being paid or directly profit from commenting on blogs.
After enabling comment moderation the number of spam averaged to 3 to 4 a day. Moderation helps me not to go and look for these comments and prevents harm to innocent visitors, but unfortunately diminishes real interaction between readers (and me).
Pingbacks are actually a much easier way to distribute spam with less effort and for that reason alone I have no intention to enable it (or even use it moderated). I am too busy with moderating my comments, thank you :-)
After consideration and discussing with others having identical feelings, I concluded that it was not just the fact that one is commenting on someone else's blog article, but also the manner (addressing, self-promotion and confrontation). I realise that this is more a style-related discussion and more based on perspective and personal likings than merely the burden of having comments linked unidirectional.
De gustibus et coloribus non disputandum est.
Drupal spam module
One of the drawbacks of Drupal is that it's easily spammable. Did you install Drupal's spam module ? Kinda like the learning junk filter in Thunderbird. It does need some training : though my site gets spam-attacked often, the spam module keeps the place tidy (and auto-deletes the approval queue).
I agree dag, pingbacks are a
I agree dag, pingbacks are a bad thing. I started to add them to my blog but after thinking about others with bad sites linking back to mine, there could be some search engine ranking problems later on. I opted out.
It is sad when we build something up someone is there to tear it down. No matter how we look at it, spammers are ridding on our backs to make a quick buck somehow.
Thanks for the post.
askimet is the best solution for public spam
Askimet works pretty fine on my own blog (approx. 13,000 spam comments caught till now - I don't use captchas). I believe this is technically the best solution: you have to differentiate your spam between different blogs - i.e. more work - in order to beat Askimet.
I believe there's an Askimet module for Drupal.
Askimet looks good
Unfortunately there is not yet an Askimet module for Drupal6 and I couldn't resist upgrading to the latest Drupal release :-)
But I will surely keep an eye for a Drupal6 release of this module. Thanks for the hint !
seems as tho askimet is now forced upon when installing wordpress, I've seen other sites have javascript which ask you to add two numbers together, surely there will be something similar for drupal6..
Unfortunately I am not familiar with Drupal but ideally have a look if you can see where the comments are coming from, then cross reference them with some GEO-IP.
I found by firewalling off .cn .in .ro domains my spam dropped by a considerable amount, most spam freelancers are from those countries..
It would be great to have an added feature in blog software to deny commenting from particular IP ranges.


text:
With Harper Lee's second novel, Go Set a Watchman, due for release later this year, it seemed a perfect opportunity to revisit her original 1962 Pulitzer Prize winner.
Scout Finch lives in Depression struck Maycomb, Alabama, with her widowed father, Atticus, older brother, Jem, and house keeper, Calpurnia. Their childhood ventures during the summer are accompanied by Dill, a neighbour's nephew. The talk of the town one year is Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. But the children have their own dilemma surrounding Boo Radley, the boogieman of the neighbourhood.
Lee creates the intimacy of a small town through a toy box of tales, collecting spook stories, folk tales, tall tales, and neighbourhood gossip. But these are not simply exaggerated, occasionally humourous, fictions sung by residents about their fellow citizens. Stories in Maycomb have the ability to console or destroy, to commend or condemn.
Many appraisals of the novel focus on the depiction of race relations, with Tom Robinson becoming the titular mockingbird. But he is one of many in the story. Even his accuser, Mayella Ewell, tries desperately to sing, only to be chocked by her father's brutal bawl. But the central mockingbird of the tale is Boo Radley, the gentle, generous soul, nested in his house, offering occasional whispered melodies.
To Kill a Mockingbird is both an ode to and living proof of the power of stories to change lives.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If you've been hanging around the "vlogosphere" for the last couple of weeks, you will have noticed a bunch of YouTube accounts getting terminated or suspended. And the strange, and slightly scary thing about it is that a lot of them seems to have been terminated for no good reason… as far as we can tell from the YouTube Community Guidlines.
Recently, I had an interview with Dave Jenyns, who also got his account terminated, but managed to get it back again. It was quite an ordeal, but he managed to get his channel back again after some fast and clever actions.
Inside the interview, we cover things like:
- How David's account got terminated… and why!
- How David managed to get his account back again…
- What you need to know to make sure you don't lose your account…
- And some steps you can take to help get your account back in case you've lost it unfairly…
It's an action packed interview, and you can listen to it by clicking on the play button below, or downloading the mp3 file to your computer or iphone or ipad:
Make sure you also check out David's website here (he's got some excellent information on SEO):
And here are some of the links we talk about inside the interview:
- How to appeal video strikes here
- Appeal Terms of use violation here
- Suspended account inquiry here
- Read the YouTube community guidelines here
- YouTube community help forum
Gideon Shalwick
Transcript Of Today's Video
Click Here To Read The TranscriptRight click here to download today's video to your computer


text:
Academics . Jewelry + Metals . Courses
Enamel: Image, Surface, Relief
Course No. MET 245 Credits: 3.0
Faculty Gretchen Goss
Fused glass (enamel) to metal is the focus of this course. Drawing and painting skills will transcend graphite, paper, oil and canvas to molten glass on metal. Transparent, opaque, liquid and dry enamels will be introduced. Experimental to traditional processes in the medium will be covered. Photographic and digitally produced images are options for resists for the acid etching process. The linear aspects of cloisonné will be considered through the fusion of formed silver and copper wires into the enamel surface.
Kathy Buszkiewicz
As a materials magician, Kathy Buszkiewicz creates multi-layered works from U.S. currency which explore themes...more
While at CIA, you'll learn from the masters through our rigorous, world-class curriculum and connect with working professionals to begin your career.


text:
Shirley Taylor
Don't Miss These
Search Site
Recent Comments
- A List of 49 Seriously Good Egalitarian Blogs
- Baptist Standard
- Biblical Personhood
- bWe Baptist Women for Equality
- BWIM Baptist Women in Ministry
- CBE Christians for Biblical Equality
- Christian Feminism
- Christians for Biblical Equality
- Community Garden of Life
- Domestic Violence Prevention
- Equality Central
- Eugene Cho
- Free CWC
- Free Methodist Feminist
- Freedom for Christian Women Coalition
- From Bitter Waters to Sweet
- God's Word to Women
- Grace and Truth to You
- Half the Church
- Jesus Creed
- Jonathan Aigner
- Katie and Martin
- Kristen Wordgazer
- Light Enough by Laura
- Luthern Church of America
- New Life
- Ordain Women Now
- Seneca Falls 2 Christian Conference
- Shirley Taylor speaks at Convention
- Shirley Taylor-Woman of Valor
- Strive to Enter
- Take Heart Project
- Texas Baptists Committed
- The Happy Surprise
- Wiley Clarkson for gender inclusive
- Woman Music Minister
- Women Equal – No Buts: Powered by the same Source
- Women Priests
Follow me on TwitterMy Tweets
Tag Archives: women preachers. male headship
Lent. Part 5. The garden
We are called Christians because we follow Christ and not some 1st century societal customs. We have arrived at the garden. Who is going to stop you from going and telling? Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged complementarian, egalitarian, Mary Magdalene, women preachers. male headship 2 Comments


text:
We talk to Paul Shepherd about the maths of the Arsenal football stadium and to David Youdan about applied maths in the classroom.
Labels: podcast
posted by Plus @ 4:25 PM
We talk to Paul Shepherd about the maths of the Arsenal football stadium and to David Youdan about applied maths in the classroom.
Labels: podcast
posted by Plus @ 4:25 PM
More or Less, BBC Radio 4's program that takes you on a journey through the often abused but ever ubiquitous world of numbers, has recently returned to the airways, and next Monday (17th December 4.30 pm), regular Plus contributors Rob Eastaway and John Haigh are featuring on the program discussing the maths of Monopoly.
Eastaway and Haigh have written for Plus many times on a range of topics including:
Plus spoke to Eastaway about the science of Monopoly, and without giving too much away, Eastaway commented that because the "Go to jail" square is the most frequently visited sqaure on the board, the orange properties are the best investments, as players leaving jail are most likely to then land on these properties.
This means you should invest in Bow Street, Marlborough and Vine Street — or in the US version, St James Place, New York Avenue or Tennessee Avenue.
The Christopher Zeeman Medal, the first award dedicated to recognising excellence in the communication of mathematics has been launched by the London Mathematical Society (LMS) and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA).
The LMS and IMA want to honour mathematicians who have excelled in promoting mathematics and engaging with the general public. They may be academic mathematicians based in universities, mathematics school teachers, industrial mathematicians, those working in the financial sector or indeed mathematicians from any number of other fields.
Most importantly, these mathematicians will have worked exceptionally to bring mathematics to a non-specialist audience. Whether it is through giving public lectures, writing books, appearing on radio or television, organising events or through an entirely separate medium, the LMS and IMA want to celebrate the achievements of mathematicians who work to inspire others.
In a joint statement, the presidents of the LMS and IMA said, "We are delighted to be able to show how much we need and value mathematicians who can promote their subject successfully. This role is vital to inspiring the next generation of mathematicians as well as helping the wider public to enjoy mathematics."
The award is named after Professor Sir Christopher Zeeman, FRS, whose notable career was pioneering not only in his fields of topology and catastrophe theory, but who was also ground-breaking in bringing his beloved mathematics to the wider public.
Sir Christopher was the first mathematician to be asked to deliver the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 1978, a full 160 years since they began. His "Mathematics into pictures" lectures, have been cited by many young UK mathematicians as their inspiration. They also led to the creation of the Ri's Mathematics Masterclasses, weekly lectures delivered to schoolchildren across the UK via a network of 50 centres.
Sir Christopher's skill as a communicator has been recognised in the wider community. In 1988, he was the third recipient of the Royal Society's Faraday Prize, awarded annually to a scientist or engineer who has excelled in communicating science to public audiences. His award was made "for the contributions he has made to the popularization of mathematics".
On the announcement of the medal, Sir Christopher said, "I am extremely honoured to have such an important award bear my name. I hope this medal will encourage more mathematicians to see communicating their work to the wider public as a key part of their role."
Nominations for the medal are now invited. To receive a nomination form, please contact:The Secretary to the Christopher Zeeman Medal London Mathematical Society De Morgan House 57-58 Russell Square London WC1B 4HS
Or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Forms should be returned by February 2008.
posted by Plus @ 2:39 PM
Zeeman's RI lectures "have been cited by many young UK mathematicians as their inspiration".
I was certainly one! I decided both to study mathematics and to do it at Warwick on the basis of these lectures. There were quite a few of us at Warwick my year with the same story.
Now as a professor of applied mathematics I use maths to solve a wide range of problems from monitoring lung function in intensive care to desinging liquid crystal displays, to detecting threats in airport baggage.
I hope this mdeal encourages those who continue to inspire the next generations of mathematicians.
Bill Lionheart
We talk to Nira Chamberlain about his job as a modelling consultant involving aircraft carriers, telecommunication networks, staying slim and speaking French. This podcast accompanies the career interview from issue 45 of Plus.
Labels: podcast
posted by Plus @ 4:28 PM
Professor Neil Turok, Chair of Mathematical Physics at Cambridge University, has been named one of the three TED prize winners for 2008.
Other 2008 prize winners were Dave Eggers (author) and Karen Armstrong (authority on comparative religions). Previous prizewinners have included Bill Clinton, E.O. Wilson and Bono.
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design and started in 1984 as a conference bringing together these disciplines. Since then its scope has broadened and its activities centre on the annual conference in Monterey, California.
Every year, TED names three new recipients for the TED Prize. Each TED prize winner chooses a project which they announce at the annual conference - the next conference will be held between February 27 and March 1 2008 in Monterey, California.
Professor Turok was awarded the James Clerk Maxwell medal of the Institute of Physics for his contributions to theoretical physics in 1992 and has worked in a number of areas of mathematical and early-universe physics. He developed the theory of open inflation and with Stephen Hawking developed the Hawking-Turok instanton solutions, describing the birth of an inflationary universe. Most recently, with Paul Steinhardt at Princeton, he has developed a cyclic model for the universe, in which the big bang is explained as a collision between two "brane-worlds" in M-theory. Steinhardt and Turok cowrote the popular science book Endless Universe. In 2003, Turok founded the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Muizenberg, a postgraduate educational center supporting the development of mathematics and science across the African continent.
You can read more about Professor Turok's work in the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge University in this Plus article Building Newton's nest.
We await what Professor Turok will wish for in his acceptance speech. In 2005 Bono called for action in Africa, in 2007 Bill Clinton talked about building a health care system in Rwanda and also in 2007 E.O. Wilson shared his vision for the Encyclopedia of Life.
posted by Plus @ 12:02 PM
Neil Turok has just been written up in Physics World in the article Seeking an African Einstein.
A new postgraduate centre for maths and computer science has opened in the Nigerian capital of Abuja as part of an ambitious plan to find the "next Einstein" in Africa. The centre is providing advanced training to graduate students from across Africa in maths and related fields. It wants to attract the best young African scientists and nurture their talents as problem-solvers and teachers.
The poor maths skills of shoppers who fail to notice that they have been short-changed at the supermarket costs UK shoppers over £800 million a year.
Learndirect, an adult learning organisation, found that from a survey of 1000 people over half think that their basic maths skills let them down when shopping.
Many report that they struggle when converting currency on holiday and fail to take notice of how much items cost. A lack of basic English skills also contributes to this. This lack of basic skills means that £823 million is lost each year.
Learndirect operates a network of more than 800 online learning centres in England and Wales, providing access to a range of e-learning opportunities. Their survey suggests that:
posted by Plus @ 3:04 PM


text:
Start Slideshow
- Nanjing Eco HousingA new high-tech, low carbon, sustainable housing complex is now slated for Nanjing, China. Designed by BDP for regional developer Landsea, which specializes in green, high-tech residential developments, the Nanjing Eco Housing project features a high performance facade with triple glazing and louvers. Solar energy, earth tubes, and energy efficient HVAC systems all combine to reduce energy usage, while living walls and rooftop gardens lower the temperature and beautify the space.1
- Nanjing Eco HousingWorking with a predetermined massing and volume of the development, BDP maneuvered around the basic block buildings to design a sustainable project.2
- Nanjing Eco HousingRelying on solar passive design, the east-west oriented buildings take advantage of the sun for their winter time heating.3
- Nanjing Eco HousingThe full height, triple-paned, south facade acts as a closed in balcony for each apartment.4
- Nanjing Eco HousingThe greenhouse principle comes into play pulling in the sun's heat to help warm the apartment.5
- Nanjing Eco Housingn the summer, the louvered windows can be opened along with other windows across the apartment to create cross ventilation and facilitate natural cooling.6
- Nanjing Eco HousingThe six-story buildings are covered in green with living walls on either side and rooftop gardens for the resident's pleasure.7
- Nanjing Eco HousingAt the center of each roof, is a sculptural rainwater harvesting collector that also creates a covered deck for tai chi.8
- Nanjing Eco HousingUnlike Western kitchens that are open to the living space, these kitchens are separated from the living space to accommodate for "vigorous wok cooking". Each apartment shares a double height outdoor space for outdoor cooking.9


text:
Only 112 here today in shade. Sand storms all afternoon. Expect to leave here soon for border duty. Camped just outside Fort Bliss. Nothing but sand and sage brush. Stray shots along border every little while. Feeding fine and all are well.
© Copyright 2008 by Richard Landers, All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.


text:
Available ebook formats: epub
This is the first computer book that prepares its readers what to expect once they have gotten a job, what kind of software they should know, and how to deal with everyday real world situations that are never addressed. Douglas Chick is the author and creator of the popular, computer professional Website, The Network Administrator, and has turned all of the questions that have been asked by beginners and professionals into What All Network Administrators Know. Like the Website, Doug is informative, direct, and uses humor to get the point across. If you are considering a career as a network administrator, or already are one--this book is for you.


text:
Our Rock Band 3 demo began in a small theater with seven Harmonix staff playing the game. The first four are the same as before, but two additional vocalists and the keyboard player made for a wide stage and an epic feel. The Harmonix rep called Rock Band 3 "four full new games in one," and they also immediately noted that, with some limitations, all old gear would still work.
Rock Band 3 will feature 83 songs, 22 of which were in the demo build, including the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Queen ("Bohemian Rhapsody," of course). They also pointed out that the list of playable songs exceeded 1,500 tunes on the Xbox 360 — including the Rock Band Network and imports of Rock Band 1, Rock Band 2, Green Day: Rock Band and LEGO Rock Band — and was expected to hit 2,000 by the time the game actually drops.
The biggest new feature isthe Party Play of Guitar Hero 5, with its easy drop-in, drop-out multiplayer, taken into overdrive with the new Overshell feature, which allows for almost everything related to a specific player to be handled by them without touching the main menus, conveniently disconnected everyone except the first player from the menus. Dropping in and out, turning on options like lefty flip, and switching in and out of Pro mode are fully controlled by them and them alone. The results weren't shown in detail during the demonstration, but they showed enough to have one player drop out on his bass, letting another player turn on his instrument and sign in, without the menu-surfing being interrupted. (Also not explained was how to work around the Xbox 360's four-controller limit to let the vocalist choose his difficulty and the like, as only four Overshells were present on-screen.
There's a new and much more detailed character editor in Rock Band 3, but we didn't see that either because the avatars had been pre-made. The developer showed that the menus depict your current band playing and engaging in various shenanigans. While it is a subtle difference from Rock Band 2, which depicted various pre-generated bands playing, I couldn't help but think about how this technique as a storytelling device was more suitable than the full cut scenes of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
With as many as 2,000 songs, navigation has been sorely in need of improvement, and Rock Band 3 delivers with the introduction of filters. In a quick demonstration, the developers whittled down the available Rock Band 3 songs to tunes that were short in length and met a few other requirements. One match popped up: Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll." The filter sets include the "family friendly" filter from LEGO Rock Band, as well as a reverse filter that excluded family-friendly songs.
Songs can now be rated from one to five stars, and randomizers will favor songs that you've rated higher. While this is handy, it's also part of the new song recommendation system, designed to increase DLC sales by recommending relevant songs based on what the player likes, what others with similar taste liked, and other factors. The system also further influences the randomizer, trying to favor what you like over what you don't. A related function evolves set lists, so players can save, name and put an icon on the list; share it with friends; and even build their lists online on rockband.com.
Party Shuffle mode, which basically clones the Party Play modes of newer Hero games, was discussed but not shown. The new Road Challenges mode partially replaces the old campaign mode, allowing the players to create a set from two to four hours in length. It'll send them from song to song, only stopping when they ask for it, while constantly interjecting challenges. This has the side effect of the game being formally beatable, unlike the old World Tour mode, which encouraged the player to keep going after clearing all missions with a perfect star count.
However, the old campaign style has been integrated into every mode. Overshell logins set up the band, and regardless of how you are playing, you'll make some sort of progress in the game and constantly acquire money, fans and new scenes. It's unclear how well this evolution will work in practice, but if it handles well enough, it could certainly bring the casual and hardcore play styles together.
The biggest features announced for the game are the keyboards and the Pro modes. The keyboard is a full, 25-key wireless keyboard that can be plugged in as a MIDI device. (A smaller MIDI-to-USB device can connect any MIDI keyboard to the X360 to do the same thing, though you'd need to mark the colored buttons yourself.) It also has a stripe of five keys in the classic guitar color, which is used in the standard modes to play like normal Rock Band. In normal play, the keyboard can play either guitar part, and guitars can also play the keyboard part.
The full keyboard layout comes into play in Pro mode, which uses all 25 keys, showing three out of the four key groups at a time. This goes from Easy to Expert, just like the five-key mode, until at Expert, you're basically playing the real thing. (They noted how a developer repeatedly played "Bohemian Rhapsody" on Expert Pro and was able to play it almost perfectly on a real piano.)
Pro mode has also been introduced for all other instruments. With drums, the player hasto hit the color-matched cymbal or tom as appropriate. A new three-cymbal pack will be offered, though the old cymbals will work as well. Guitar and bass, on the other hand, have to use one of two new controllers, with one row of five buttons replaced with six rows of 17. This also requires a whole new layout, six strings wide, and you have to hit the correct string(s) and hold each in the correct spot. The goal of all the Pro modes is to teach the player how to do the real thing; everything except for theory and music reading is taught here, finally attaining Harmonix's long-term goal for the series.
The two new guitars are made by Mad Catz. The Fender Mustang controller simply has the strings as a grid of white buttons but is a full MIDI controller, just like the keyboard. The strings are short but provide a precise, real feel. More significantly, the Fender Stratocaster guitar has some tech magic inside to work as a controller, but it's an actual guitar. To show off how the Pro mode teaches the real thing, a Harmonix team member loaded up a song on Expert Pro and hooked up the guitar to an amp. A few seconds later, the exact same guitar sounds, minus the effects, were playing from the room's audio.
Drums now have rolls, so you need to repeatedly hit the corresponding pad or cymbal, but not on an extremely tight rhythm. On the Stratocaster, you can bend the note with your finger on the fret. Rock Band 2 will finally be exportable. Awesomeness Detection is back. Pausing the game now rolls the song back on returning to play, just like in the Hero series.
Rock Band 3 has added an array of feature improvements and a nicely varied set list to bring the game to a new level. The Pro-level guitars start at $150, and the keyboard ($80) may be a little iffy, depending on player interest, but Harmonix has once again raised the bar of the rhythm genre.
More articles about Rock Band 3


text:
[218 Pages Report] Benzene Market categorizes the Global Market on the Basis of Its Derivatives (Cumene, Nitrobenzene, Ethylbenzene), Applications, & by geography.
Dallas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/02/2014 -- The report "Benzene Market & Its Derivatives (Ethylbenzene, Cumene, Cyclohexane, Nitrobenzene, and Alkylbenzene) Market by Application & Geography – Trends and Forecasts to 2018", defines and segments the benzene & its derivatives market with analysis and forecasting of the consumption volume and value.
Browse 118 market data tables and 33 figures spread through 218 pages and in-depth TOC on "Benzene Market & Its Derivatives Market – Trends and Forecasts to 2018"
Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.
Request for free 10% customization of report @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomization.asp?id=162381860
The Asia-Pacific – Biggest Market of Benzene
The Asia-Pacific is the most promising chemical market and is expected to be the same in the near future. The Asia-Pacific is the largest benzene market, which consumed more than 45.0% of the total demand in 2012, and also for most of its derivatives that include ethylbenzene, cyclohexane, cumene, nitrobenzene, and alkylbenzene. The demand for benzene in the region is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of about 4.1% from 2013 to 2018. It is estimated that China and Japan were the biggest consumers of benzene in the region followed by South Korea in 2012, while, India is expected to be the fastest growing market of benzene. The continuous rise in the production of end products for use within the region and for exports, derives a huge demand for chemicals. A few of the reasons for the high growth in this region are growing population, vast economies–developed as well as developing, and favorable investment policies and government initiatives to promote industrial growth.
"Ethylbenzene –the Biggest and Cumene –the Fastest Growing" Benzene Derivative Markets
Benzene is a major feedstock to manufacture ethylbenzene, which was at the forefront in terms of volumetric consumption in 2012, mainly driven by the growing demand of styrene. Styrene is manufactured by employing ethylbenzene as a feedstock and the consumption growth of styrenic polymers is also accelerating the demand for benzene at a notable pace. Ethylbenzene demand is witnessed to be quite high in China, followed by the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. After ethylbenzene, is the cumene production segment which is also expected to be the fastest growing end-use segment with an estimated CAGR of about 5.1% from 2013 to 2018. Cumene is majorly employed to manufacture phenol and its co-product acetone, which are used in the production of phenolic resins, bisphenol A, caprolactam, alkylphenols, and other chemicals. Phenol consumption is growing at a considerable growth rate, which in turn is pushing the demand for cumene and hence driving the demand for benzene at a significant pace.
Download Sample PDF of this Report @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=162381860
Browse related Reports:
Solvent Market by Type (Ketones, Esters, Aromatics, Alcohols), Application (Paints & Coatings, Pharmaceuticals, Adhesives, Printing Inks, Personal Care) & Source - Global Trends & Forecast to 2018
Phenolic Resin Market by Type (Resol and Novolac) and by Application (Wood Adhesive, Molding, Laminates, Insulation, and Others) – Global Trends & Forecast to 2019
About MarketsandMarkets
MarketsandMarkets is a global market research and consulting company based in the U.S. We publish strategically analyzed market research reports and serve as a business intelligence partner to Fortune 500 companies across the world.
MarketsandMarkets also provides multi-client reports, company profiles, databases, and custom research services. M&M covers thirteen industry verticals, including advanced materials, automotives and transportation, banking and financial services, biotechnology, chemicals, consumer goods, energy and power, food and beverages, industrial automation, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor and electronics, and telecommunications and IT.
We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.
Mr. Rohan
North - Dominion Plaza
17304 Preston Road
Suite 800, Dallas, TX 75252
Tel: +1-888-6006-441
Email: http://firstname.lastname@example.com
Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical
Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets


text:
FRISCO, Texas — In 2009, FC Dallas went 8-4-1 down the stretch and nearly made the playoffs for the first time since 2007. On Saturday, they face a team that seems to be mirroring FCD's monumental effort from a year ago.
The Kansas City Wizards are 6-1-3 in their last 10 games. Among their wins in that stretch are road victories at Columbus, Los Angeles and Houston along with a draw against reigning MLS Cup champions Real Salt Lake. They remain outside the playoff zone, but their recent form has catapulted them into contention that no one could have predicted a month ago.
"There are a lot of similarities [between the 2010 Wizards and 2009 Dallas]," Hyndman said this week. "There's a little bit of desperation. There's no hesitation. The objective is three points. It eliminates a lot of fear in what you have to do.
"Right now, they're a team that's playing extremely well. They seem to be playing injury-free, so they're running on all strengths. They are definitely a team to be fearful of."
Under Hyndman, FCD have never won in Kansas City, going 0-1-1 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. They lost 3-2 in their most recent trip last September.
Injury News
Second-year center back George John continues to be bothered by a strained hamstring and will not make the trip to Kansas City. This marks the fourth straight game John has missed since leaving at halftime of a 1-0 win over Toronto FC back on Sept. 4. Brazilian Jackson Gonçalves has been filling in for John during his absence and has performed well.
The news is more positive on rookie midfielder Eric Alexander, who has started the last seven games. He left the field with double vision in the 70th minute of Wednesday's tie with New England after being poked in the eye. Those symptoms were no longer present as of Thursday.
More of the Same
With the suspended Brek Shea also unavailable on Saturday, Hyndman looks likely to start Marvin Chavez on the left flank for a second straight game.
"He's the type of player who has a lot of energy, a lot of excitement and is very, very quick," Hyndman said. "I think we saw a lot of that [in Wednesday's draw with New England]. [But] it's going to take a little bit of time for him to find a groove again with the decision making and execution."
Holding midfielder Dax McCarty also looks set to start for a second straight game in the absence of the injured Daniel Hernandez. The versatile McCarty showed considerable rust against the Revs, his first start in over two months.
"It was kind of one of those things that as the game went on, he got better and better," Hyndman said. "I think that showed in the second half. Right now, we continue to go with players that bring something in that position. I think he's competitive at that position."
Props for Veteran Duo
Jeff Cunningham's stoppage-time equalizer against New England moved him within two goals of Jaime Moreno's record for most in MLS history.
"I was really very pleased, not just for him personally getting that goal, but putting the team in the situation where we only had a few seconds left and were able to come away with the tie," Hyndman said.
"This tie felt like a win and when we reflect on it, we're disappointed we didn't get the win. At the same time, I think this team comes up with that mentality of, 'Let's refuse to lose.'"
The FCD gaffer also offered praise for veteran goalkeeper Dario Sala, who got his first start since May 1. With starter Kevin Hartman sidelined for a few weeks with a right MCL sprain, Sala will be the No. 1 for the foreseeable future.
"He shows us why it was so important to have two first-team goalkeepers," Hyndman said.


text:
A tale of clean cities: insights for planning urban sanitation from Ghana, India and the Philippines
Uncontrolled urbanisation and proliferation of slums makes development of urban sanitation a big challenge. To contribute to the efforts towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of universal access to sanitation, the research A tale of clean cities aimed to learn from three cities that are performing well in sanitation: Kumasi, Ghana; San Fernando, the Philippines; and Visakhapatnam, India.
Date: 30 January 2017


text:
Transcendent Life?
A reader recently wrote to ask whether she could purchase an article—specifically the cover story in the Aug. 21, 1967, issue—from the C&EN Archives. The answer, of course, is that she could, for $10. (As of January 2012, ACS members will be able to download 25 journal papers, book chapters, and C&EN Archives stories for free each year.)
C&EN Deputy Editor-in-chief Maureen Rouhi got the e-mail, and she brought the article to my attention. Its title is "Life Transcending Physics and Chemistry," and it is a 13-page, lavishly illustrated (for C&EN), philosophical essay by Michael Polanyi, one of the seminal scientist/philosophers of the 20th century. It is not the kind of essay I associate with C&EN.
I spent most of that evening reading and re-reading Polanyi's essay and thinking about it. He makes two central points early in the essay, the first concerning DNA. "A DNA molecule essentially transmits information to a developing cell," he writes. "Similarly a book transmits information. But the transmission of the information cannot be represented in terms of chemical and physical principles. In other words, the operation of the book is not reducible to chemical terms. Since DNA operates by transmission of (genetic) information, its function cannot be described by chemical laws either."
He also writes, "I differ … from most biologists by holding that no mechanism—be it a machine or a machinelike feature of an organism—can be represented in terms of physics and chemistry. This principle precludes the possibility of biology ever becoming a molecular science."
I think it is clear that advances over the past 40 plus years show that Polanyi was wrong—biology has become a molecular science. What fascinates me is trying to understand why he was wrong because he was a very sophisticated thinker.
In an argument that is far too complex to reprise here, Polanyi makes a strong case that the origin of any particular genetic sequence, and, by extension, the origin of life itself, cannot be explained on the basis of chemical and physical principles alone. However, when he uses the analogy between DNA and a book to state that transmission of genetic information "is nonchemical and nonphysical," he is mistaken. Genetic information is encoded in DNA's structure, and while we might not be able to determine the provenance of that information through chemical and physical principles, transcription itself is a profoundly chemical process that we now understand in quite some detail.
Likewise, when Polanyi compares biological structures to machines and insists that both are irreducible to chemical and physical principles, he is arguing at the level of cells and organs. With the structure of a molecular machine like the ribosome in hand, its form and function are, in fact, wholly described by chemical and physical principles.
Polanyi writes, "The machine is a machine by having been built and being then controlled according to the principles of engineering. The laws of physics and chemistry are indifferent to these principles; they would go on working in the fragments of the machine if it were smashed." He continues, "Returning now to living beings, we may start by observing that to speak of life as something to be explained by the laws of physics and chemistry is strictly speaking absurd, for physical and chemical processes do not determine by themselves any finite system." In the realm of molecular machines operating within the well-defined confines of living systems, this assertion simply isn't true. If a ribosome were figuratively smashed, some aspects of its chemistry would cease to function; as a machine, its "engineering principles" are indistinguishable from its chemistry.
If this seems somewhat esoteric, Polanyi's arguments, or ones very similar to them, continue to resonate with some nonscientists who object to aspects of the scientific endeavor to fully understand life (C&EN, June 4, 2001, page 56).
I'll return to another interesting aspect of this 1967 issue of C&EN in next week's editorial.
Thanks for reading.


text:
So Long Dewey
1938 – 1993
He was a man full of heart and passion, a little guy among bigger lads – among iron men, in fact. But Dewey Weber learned to use his size to advantage, quick-stepping the first foam longboards at Malibu as gracefully and as surely as if he were dancing up and down a coffee table. With his trademark red trunks, platinum blonde hair, and a definite attitude, Dewey defined the archetype of the Southern California surfer. They dubbed him "the little man on wheels." A goal-oriented guy with championship standards, he was a great wrestler, a national yo-yo champion, and a young television pitchman for Buster Brown shoes.
But ultimately surfing was what he loved and did best: it allowed the artist, athlete and salesman in him to merge and manifest. One of the first Hermosa Beach surfers to build foam boards, he was well positioned to catch the "Gidget wave" and ride it into the Sixties. Weber's Performer model boards, with their big hatchet fins, exemplified the noseriding era. And despite his investment in the Old Guard, Dewey was one of the first to adapt to the shortboard revolution. He reveled in free-surf sessions with team riders Nat Young and Mike Tabeling: it gave him another shot at youth.
So long Dewey, You'll be missed.
-Drew Kampion
Dewey Weber 60th Anniversary Hatchet FinFrom: $125.00 Select options
Dewey Weber 9.6 STORYBOARD$5,000.00 Add to cart
Dewey Weber Gift CertificateFrom: $50.00 Select options
Dewey Weber Block Logo Flat Snap Hat$32.95 Select options
Dewey Weber Icon Logo Trucker Hat$26.95 Select options
Dewey Weber Block Letter Long Sleeve T$32.95 Select options
Dewey Weber 9.2 Planer$1,500.00 Read More
Dewey Weber 9.2 Stylist$1,500.00 Read More
Dewey Weber Classic Logo Hoodie$52.95 Select options
Dewey Weber Icon Logo Long Sleeve T$32.95 Select options
Dewey Weber Classic Logo Long Sleeve T$32.95 Select options
Dewey Weber Block Letter T$26.95 Select options


text:
Stocks dropped sharply in late trading Friday on Wall Street but still managed to end the month higher.
After moving between small losses and gains for most of the day, the stock market started to drift lower in afternoon trading. The sell-off accelerated in the final hour. The Dow Jones industrial average ended the day with its biggest loss in nearly six weeks, falling more than 200 points.
Some traders said the sudden afternoon swoon was due to investors rebalancing their holdings at the end of the month. As stocks fell, bonds rallied. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which had risen as high as 2.20 percent during the day, fell back to 2.13 percent in late trading. Yield falls as bond prices rise.
On Friday, there was both encouraging and disappointing news on the economy.
Stock indexes started the day slightly lower after the government reported that Americans cut back on spending. Consumer spending fell 0.2 percent in April, the first decline since last May, the Commerce Department said early Friday.
That news was offset by a report released later showing that a measure of U.S. consumer confidence jumped to the highest level in almost six years in May, lifted by rising home prices and record-high stock prices.
The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index rose to 84.5 in May, up from 76.4 in April and the highest since July 2007. Investors are hoping that increasingly confident consumers will step up their spending, which would contribute to U.S. economic growth.
The Dow closed down 208.96 points, or 1.4 percent, to 15,115.57.
It was the biggest loss for the index since April 15, when markets plunged after worries about an economic slowdown in China caused commodity prices to drop sharply.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 23.67, or 1.4 percent, to 1,630.74. The Nasdaq composite declined 35.38 points, or 1 percent, to 3,455.91.
In government bond trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.13 percent from 2.12 percent late Thursday. The yield has risen by half a percentage point since the start of the month and is the highest it's been since April 2012.
Rates have risen on concern that the Federal Reserve is considering easing back on its purchases of $85 billion in bonds every month.
The sharp rise in Treasury yields could be trouble for the market if it continues unabated, said David Bianco, chief U.S. equity strategist at Deutsche Bank. The yields on Treasury notes are benchmarks for setting interest rates on many kinds of loans to consumers and businesses. If they rise quickly, lending rates would rise too, holding back the economy by discouraging borrowing and spending.
"I'm not bearish, but I'm a little bit cautious," Bianco said.
The Dow ended up 1.9 percent for the month, its sixth straight monthly gain. The S&P 500 index rose by 2.1 percent in May and has gained for seven months straight, the longest winning streak since 2009.
The S&P 500 has only fallen in one month, October, over the last year.
In commodities trading, oil fell $1.64, or 1.8 percent, to $91.97 a barrel, close to its lowest in a month, after OPEC oil ministers said they would keep their output targets steady. Gold fell $19 to $1,393 an ounce, a decline of 1.3 percent.
Among stocks making big moves:
— Lions Gate Entertainment rose 77 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $28.80. The company reported net income that topped Wall Street's expectations as it benefited from home video sales of the finale to its hit franchise "Twilight."
— Palo Alto Networks fell $5.87, or 11 percent, to $48.52 after the network security company posted a quarterly loss and predicted lower profit and revenue in the current quarter than analysts were expecting.
— OmniVision Technologies, a maker of mobile camera sensors, jumped $2.98, or 19 percent, to $18.47. The company reported that its net income doubled in its fourth fiscal quarter as revenue rose sharply.


text:
Stand back, Nicki Minaj!
Fleetwood Mac's leading lady, Stevie Nicks, didn't mince words when she was recently asked about the American Idol feud between new judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.
VIDEO: Idol judge Nicki Minaj curses out Mariah Carey
"How dare this little girl!" Nicks told The Daily, referencing Minaj's outburst at the judges' table when she allegedly threatened to shoot Carey. "If I had been Mariah, I would have walked over to Nicki and strangled her to death right there."
In case her message wasn't clear, Nicks added: "I would have killed her in front of all those people and had to go to jail for it."
American Idol producers speak out on Nicki Minaj-Mariah Carey feud
Nicks appeared on Idol last season as a mentor for the contestants, and has performed with finalists on The Voice, but tells The Daily she would never judge a reality singing competition. However, she did say that if she were starting her music career now, she would definitely want to appear on one of those shows. "That's how you get seen these days," she said.
What do you think of Nicks' comments?


text:
Danny Sullivan learned the hard way how problems with accounts payable can jeopardize the future of an otherwise solid business
June 5, 1990. It was just about 9:00 in the morning when Danny Sullivan, the 34-year-old owner of Village Shoes, an upscale retailer in the wealthy Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe, pulled his '87 Mustang into the parking lot behind his store. He was somewhat distracted, thinking about a meeting he had scheduled for that morning with his financial advisers and an Internal Revenue Service official to try to resolve a tax dispute that had dragged on for nearly five years.
When he rounded the corner of Kercheval Street, the main shopping drag in town and home for 14 years to his $750,000 shoe store, his hopes were dashed with a vengeance. The locks on Village Shoes' front door had been changed. Large pieces of masking tape framed a notice that proclaimed the store and its property had been seized by the state of Michigan. Two of the store's saleswomen paced the sidewalk uncertainly. Several armed policemen waited by the front door, as Sullivan recalls, "so that they could slap me with a warrant and stop me in case I went crazy and tried to break into my own store."
The day marked an end to Sullivan's 18-month struggle to find a way to withstand Michigan's economic slowdown and the resultant collapse in his customers' purchases of luxury shoes. He had been negotiating with his suppliers about ways to reorganize his accounts-payable obligations into smaller, more manageable levels and longer payment schedules. He also had been battling the IRS and the state over failure to pay taxes.
But when he saw the policemen and the new locks, Sullivan realized there was no room left for negotiation. After obtaining permission to enter his office through the store's unlocked back door, he started making phone calls. Within hours he had retained a bankruptcy lawyer, who filed a petition on Village Shoes' behalf for Chapter 11 protection from its creditors, including state and federal tax authorities. The following Monday Village Shoes reopened for business, while Sullivan's bankruptcy lawyer and financial advisers began the painstaking process of evaluating whether his company stood a chance of financially reorganizing under a bankruptcy-court-approved scheme.
Saddest of all about Danny Sullivan's experience is that so much of it stemmed from his own misguided business decisions -- decisions that placed growth ahead of profitability, customers ahead of creditors. As a result, he lacked the kind of accounts-payable controls that could have helped Village Shoes creatively respond to its sales slump. Michigan's economic recession was beyond Sullivan's control. But it took years for him to realize that his accounts-payable problems were not.
Unfortunately, Danny Sullivan's story is far from unique. When the economy is weak, as it has become throughout the country over the past two years, growing companies face twin pressures from sales slowdowns and the buildup of accounts-receivable problems. When credit and other sources of financing also dry up, as is the case today, cash-strapped managers must struggle to find ways to meet their financial obligations. All too often, what seems to be a solution is to stretch out, or occasionally even skip, their company's payments to suppliers, service vendors, bankers, or the tax man. "You keep telling yourself you'll be able to catch up and straighten it all out as soon as business picks up," Sullivan comments. "But pretty soon I began to feel as though I'd never get out from under it all."
Accounts-payable crises can snowball faster than almost any other financial problem -- to the point where they can jeopardize the future of businesses with otherwise strong growth potential. Yet few entrepreneurs view their bill-payment operations as worthy of the same attention they'd pay to sales or marketing activities. All too often they delegate the responsibility to overloaded bookkeepers who are already preoccupied with data processing or their own bill collecting. Danny Sullivan never realized how big a payables problem he had, until it was too late. "I kept thinking that if I could just figure out a way to raise some money, I could restock my most popular shoe lines and boost sales, and then everything would be all right again."
At first it did seem as though sales -- and sales alone -- were Village Shoes' problem. Sullivan had begun to notice a drop-off in customer activity as far back as January 1989. "There were little signs, but they kept on building," he recalls. "First, I noticed that men, particularly fathers, had stopped buying luxury shoes and were only spending money on items that they really needed. Then women started curtailing their purchases. Children's shoes were the last to be hit, but then we started to see a drop-off there as well."
Sullivan's inventory kept expanding during those slow winter months. "As a specialty retailer, I've normally got to place my orders with manufacturers and designers as much as a year in advance," he explains. "So there was no way to cut back on inventory buildup that winter and spring, even though I could watch my sales shrinking. Shoes just kept on coming." He had to find a way to pay manufacturers for the upscale shoes and boots he had long ago ordered, even if his customers were no longer buying them.
If some of Sullivan's accounts-payable problems stemmed from forces beyond his control, others were clearly of his own making. About five years earlier he had made a fairly common -- and in the end, very costly -- mistake. In the midst of an intensive growth period, he succumbed to the temptation to build inventory -- and thus push for sales growth -- at the expense of other financial priorities, including his tax liabilities. His accountant had presented him with a $12,000 federal tax bill that Sullivan thought was too hefty for him to be able to pay just then. "We had just invested $40,000 in building up our inventory, and I didn't have enough cash left over to pay the tax bill," he acknowledges. "So I went in to my local IRS office and asked for tax relief through some kind of payment-work-out plan."
He hired a law firm to work out a payment plan, which he followed for a couple of years. "As time went on," Sullivan says, "penalties and interest kept accruing at a phenomenal rate until -- in what seemed like no time at all -- I owed $30,000, not $12,000." Then the state, he says, began dunning him for back taxes as well. That, too, is fairly common since state liabilities are pegged to federal liabilities. So when an IRS bill is in dispute, red flags go up at the state level as well.
"I couldn't understand why I kept paying money but the problems never seemed to go away," Sullivan says. "I wanted to get bottom-line documentation from the IRS about where my tax payments had gone and how much I still owed, and I couldn't even seem to get that." Finally, he decided to draw attention to his case by stopping his tax payments entirely. Although he may have thought of his gesture as an act of well-justified anger or frustration, he was breaking the law in a way guaranteed to eventually earn the wrath of both federal and state tax authorities.
Sullivan was surprised that the tax collectors ignored him, at least at first. Since the U.S. tax system relies initially on voluntary compliance and the information that companies themselves report, often it takes a fair amount of time for the authorities to catch on. In this case, that only made it easier for Sullivan to put his tax problems out of his mind, especially as sales kept dropping and his financial obligations to suppliers continued to mount. "I started calling my suppliers to tell them I needed more time to pay my bills. At first, most of them were pretty understanding," he recalls.
But Sullivan wound up just postponing his problems. "Eventually, I got to the point where some of my payments to suppliers were 90 days overdue. After that they'd turn me over to collection agencies. The agencies would be happy at first if I said I would pay them anything. But after a while, they turned me over to the collection lawyers." Meanwhile, some of his suppliers put him on a cash-only delivery basis. "That was the worst, since it meant I'd have to pay cash for items that were just building up in inventory, sometimes with seasons to go until they stood a chance of being sold."
As a supersalesman with unstinting confidence in the basic strength of his store and sales base, Sullivan was slow to realize that the situation with his suppliers was becoming as insoluble as his tax problems. But before long, he recalls simply, "I began to feel as if I were drowning."
By April 1990, with no bottom in sight for Michigan's economic downturn, Sullivan concluded that the only way out of his own financial troubles would be an infusion of new capital, either a bank loan or a private investment. So he contacted James Greenfield, a longtime customer of Sullivan's who is a consultant with The Wharton Resource Group Inc., based in Shaumburg, Ill., a nationwide firm that specializes in advising small, growing companies. "Danny approached me about the idea of raising capital so that he could refinance his business," Greenfield recalls. "But once I started analyzing his financial operations, I realized that his immediate problem wasn't the need to build sales. He had to take care of his payables problems and do it fast."
It was a crisis situation. Greenfield and Sullivan figured that Village Shoes' outstanding obligations amounted to nearly $130,000, and most were way overdue. It was time to set some priorities for payables.
"Danny Sullivan had made the same mistake that probably 70% of businesspeople with payables problems make," says Greenfield. "He had focused his attention on whichever suppliers called him and yelled 'pay me, pay me' the loudest -- while, at a dire risk to his company, he had ignored his tax obligations to the government. Of all the people a business owner can owe money to, the ones that are least likely to be willing to negotiate with you and most likely to step in there and shut down your business are the federal and state tax departments."
His top priority was to resolve Village Shoes' tax problems. But what he learned, as he began to research the case, was that the IRS had never approved the payment scheme. As a result, Greenfield explains, "the IRS didn't care if he had been making regular payments in good faith for a good part of the time that was in dispute. As far as the IRS was concerned, he hadn't paid the money he owed when he owed it, and he hadn't paid the interest and penalties that the IRS said he owed, either. And the IRS couldn't care less about the payment plan because it had never approved it." As for the problems with the state, Sullivan's own tax records were so confused, he possessed little evidence that could back up his claims.
Despite the tax fiasco, Greenfield was convinced that Village Shoes' overall business prospects would be quite strong if he and Sullivan could just straighten out the store's financial operations. So while attempting to resolve the tax problems, Greenfield began contacting every one of Village Shoes' creditors to try to informally negotiate extended payment plans. His goal was to help the company adjust and upgrade inventory whenever necessary to keep the 2,000-square-foot store and its product line contemporary and attractive to Sullivan's customers.
Although the store's financial difficulties were dragging into their 18th month, most of Sullivan's creditors were willing to negotiate. "Most of them had already stood behind me once before, during the recession of 1981, and they'd seen me come out of a sales slump with stronger growth than I'd ever had before. It was in their interest to help me work out my problems," says Sullivan.
Greenfield, too, was optimistic. "The only stumbling block seemed to be the IRS," he says. "But we finally succeeded, with some help from our senator, in scheduling a meeting with an IRS supervisor for the morning of June 5."
That meeting never took place. Instead, Danny Sullivan telephoned Greenfield from Village Shoes' back office to tell him the store had been seized by the state of Michigan. "We had no choice but to file for Chapter 11 protection," says Greenfield. For Sullivan it was "a bitter pill at first." When the court unraveled his tax problems, what it found was unbelievable to him. "Between the state and federal tax authorities, I had owed a total of $68,000 in taxes. But by the time I got through with all the interest charges and penalties, I had paid $137,000 and it still hadn't been enough," he says.
Greenfield was disappointed in having to file for Chapter 11. He believes Village Shoes could have reimbursed its creditors in full, over a protracted payment schedule, if it had been allowed to continue negotiations in an informal way outside bankruptcy court.
The filing has definitely taken its toll. "Of the 32 suppliers I deal with, the vast majority have put me on a cash-in-advance payment basis," Sullivan says. Still, he sees some positive signs: "Only one of my old suppliers has decided to stop doing business with me. And recently, about 6 agreed to put me back on a credit basis again." With tighter financial systems in place, Village Shoes will certainly be better positioned to withstand its region's continued economic downturn.
But the best thing Danny Sullivan may have going for him is what he's learned from his accounts-payable crisis. "If you find you've got problems paying your bills -- above all else, keep an open line of communication with all your suppliers," he says. He hadn't always done that in the past, in part because he was confused about the true nature of his financial problems. A chastened man, Sullivan adds, "Never be afraid to tell your creditors what's happening, where you see problems, and what you're planning to do about them."
After a moment's thought, he goes on. "Always, always, always send your creditors money when you tell them you're going to send them money. Even if you owe them a lot and can only afford to send a small sum, send it, because it shows your good faith."
And that's what a well-run accounts-payable system is all about.
All-purpose financial-management software packages
The quickest way to upgrade your accounts payable is to switch to a computerized system that is integrated with all your other financial operations. A good program should automatically age your company's outstanding obligations, generate weekly analytic updates along with other cash-flow reports, and provide precautionary double checks, such as matching payments and invoices against original order forms. Chances are, your company can manage quite nicely with a general, all-purpose software package. Here are two systems that management consultant Paul Parish of the accounting firm Grant Thornton recommends:
* CYMA offers three packages of differing complexity targeted at small companies and start-ups. The software helps companies handle accounts payable, accounts receivable, and most other financial operations. Available through a network of certified dealers and consultants, the software operates on virtually all corporate computer systems. (Prices range from $49 to $995, depending on the software's complexity.) For a list of nearby dealers, call (800) 292-2962.
* Accounts Payable 2000, by Software 2000, is for companies with sales greater than $20 million. This is a pricey system that could pay off if you have a large and complicated set of creditors. It offers useful features such as duplicate-invoice validation, an on-line audit capacity to track individual payments, and, best of all, something called "interactive vendor analysis," to help companies figure out the most profitable date to pay each bill, given early-payment discounts and late fees. But it is targeted for IBM AS/400 systems and won't work on your PC. The accounts-payable module can be purchased separately for prices that range from $38,000 to $70,000, which means it's worth consulting with your accountant to see if you need anything that sophisticated. For the location of the sales office closest to you, call (800) 525-0490; in Massachusetts, call (508) 778-2000.
How five small businesses are managing payables -- even when their own customers are taking longer to pay
* Prioritize: For Bill Rizzo, whose $7-million environmental-engineering firm, Rizzo Associates Inc., is located in Natick, Mass., financial obligations fall into three categories: the bills he pays as soon as they're due (personnel costs, bank loans, and taxes), bills he pays within 10 days (to professional contractors whose services he's already been reimbursed for by clients), and bills he tries to pay within 30 days (all others). As his company has begun to feel the recessionary pinch, he's "made a conscious decision," he says, "to stretch that third category out to 45 days. It's the only strategy that makes sense for us," he emphasizes. "When you look at our cash flow, accounts payable are the only factor that we ourselves have got some control over -- and we'll play with them if and when we have to."
* Negotiate: John Roberts, chief executive of $10-million Roberts Welding Contractors Inc., in Winterville, N.C., agrees -- but he prefers to negotiate longer payment terms in advance, although he says the process can be time-consuming. "We've got 1,500 different vendors that we deal with, and what we do is telephone every single major vendor, maybe a couple hundred of them, to ask when they absolutely have to have their money." Roberts's suppliers don't try to take advantage: "Some tell us 45 days is all right. One of our biggest steel suppliers said, 'Fifty-four days is OK -- just don't try to pay on the 55th day.' " That information then gets recorded in each vendors' accounts-payable file and sets the guidelines for payment of all major outstanding obligations. With smaller suppliers, where there's not much potential payoff from stretching out payments, Roberts aims for a 30-day turnaround of bills.
* Monitor payables closely: Each week Bill Senecal, chief financial officer of $2.8-million TMA Technologies Inc., in Bozeman, Mont., analyzes an accounts-payable aging schedule he gets from the accounting department along with other cash-flow documents. "It's always been our goal to pay our service professionals -- the lawyer, accountants, and so on -- within 20 days because they're with smaller firms, and other vendors at 30 days. But with the economic downturn, I've watched us push that closer to 40 days, which I see as our outside limit of what's acceptable," he says. Since Senecal tracks the numbers weekly, he's in a good position to stop the erosion fast: "At 40 days, I'll use our credit line to make payments if we can't bring the money in fast enough from our accounts-receivable operation."
* Demonstrate good faith: "There's no doubt about it. When your money doesn't come in, you're in a jam," confesses Jimmy McAndrew, CEO of $9.4-million Matthew Outdoor Advertising Inc., in Parsippany, N.J. His solution: "We pay our staff, our tax bill, our bank, and our priority leases for billboards whatever we owe them when we owe it." Then he divides whatever cash is left over among all his remaining vendors. "It shows we're trying, even if we can't swing the whole bill payment at that time. And we don't just send the money -- we get on the phone and explain what's happening and why and set up an informal workout plan on the spot."
* Protect credit ratings: Since she knows that smaller companies are the ones hardest hit by the credit crunches that accompany recessions, Linda Miles, CEO of Linda L. Miles & Associates, a $1.5-million consulting firm in Virginia Beach, Va., has made it her top priority to pay all bills on time despite what she sees as a temporary slump in sales. "If I have to go to the bank tomorrow to borrow $40,000 to print a marketing catalog, I want to be able to do it. So I'm still paying all our bills at the 30-day point, even though I've had to cut our monthly expenses by $15,000 and put my staff on a four-day workweek." She stopped drawing her own salary a few months ago but is confident she's made the right decision. "In a recession it's more important than ever not to spend what you don't have. We're forecasting a turnaround by midyear 1991, and our company is going to be around to enjoy it."
How to take control of your payables
A well-managed accounts payable system is, quite simply, managed. It should be given the same attention as the other key systems that constitute your company's cash-flow base: bill collection, inventory management, money management, credit, and other banking systems. Controlling the cash that leaves your company is every bit as important as controlling the cash that comes in through sales, marketing, and collection efforts.
To achieve control, payables must be aggressively supervised by a top manager who knows the company's financial status and goals. That means the chief executive or controller, not an overloaded accounting clerk. Bill payments must be not simply made but planned. Above all, payables must be viewed as a flexible system that you can manipulate in response to other factors such as sales decreases or slowdowns in your own bill collecting.
While there is no such thing as a single accounts-payable system that will work for every company, here are nine rules that well-managed systems should adhere to:
1. Evaluate cash flow. Every accounts-payable strategy should be rooted in a company's current cash-flow realities. To some degree, that's common sense: if it takes 90 days to collect accounts receivable, it's financially self-destructive for you to pay your own bills within 15 days.
That said, few chief executives devote enough attention to analyzing exactly how long it takes dollars spent to be replaced. Ron Weiner, a CPA whose New York City-based firm, Weiner Associates, specializes in working with owner-managed companies, recommends that you monitor your cash-to-cash cycle. This is the length of time that elapses from your expenditure of dollars on raw materials, labor, warehousing, and so on, through the sales and marketing process, until the date you receive payments from your customers.
"That statistic should then become a management tool," advises Weiner. Take a hypothetical case of a distributor who buys a widget on January 1 and pays for that widget on January 30; it takes him 60 days from that point to sell that widget (which brings him to March 31) and 45 days after that to collect his cash (May 15). His cash-to-cash cycle adds up to 105 days, which Weiner describes as "the length of time he's in the hole" after expending his company's cash. "Anything a business owner can do to reduce that number will help his business: collect money from customers faster, sell and distribute faster, or lengthen the number of days that he takes to pay his own bills."
2. Set goals. Once you've evaluated your cash flow, establish written payment goals so there can be no confusion among your bill payers. Avoid a situation in which accounting clerks make the decisions about which bills are to be paid and when -- usually, suppliers who yell loudest are paid the fastest, regardless of the overall benefit to the company.
Bill payments should be timed to coordinate exactly with your company's formal disbursement goals. That means you should date checks no earlier than the dates upon which payments are due (and suppliers should receive checks no more than a day or two earlier than the due date). "At all times," says Paul Parish, a management consultant at the accounting firm of Grant Thornton, in Denver, "a company's goal should be to hold its cash within its own investment accounts until the last possible minute in which payments must be made so as to maintain good relations with its suppliers."
3. Establish payment priorities. Every CEO should be able to set up his or her own two-tiered list of payment priorities, which then becomes part of the company's formal disbursement strategy. Tier one, the group that should be paid at all costs and at whatever terms have been agreed upon, should include major vendors and service suppliers, bankers, and most important, the state and federal tax authorities. Tier two, which offers more room for short-term maneuvering during cash-flow crunches, should consist of minor suppliers whose goodwill is less vital to the company's overall well-being. To avoid confusion, inform your accounting clerks of those payment priorities, by supplier, in writing.
4. Aggressively negotiate payment terms. Granted, there's not much room for negotiation with bankers or tax collectors, but once they're taken care of, everything else on the payables front should be open for discussion. You have leverage to negotiate better-than-usual terms from your major suppliers, especially during recessionary times, when everyone is afraid of losing business. Figure out your optimal payment terms (using the cash-to-cash or other cash-flow statistics as a guide); then -- when orders are placed, not when bills become due or overdue -- negotiate to achieve those terms.
5. Forecast cash needs. A company's CEO or controller should be able to predict exactly how much cash the company will need -- and when -- to fulfill its payables obligations. That forecast then becomes an important tool in averting cash-flow problems. Managers should be able to tell if funds will be available at the right time from money-management accounts or bank credit lines. And if funds won't be available, you can take precautionary measures, such as stepping up the company's own bill-collecting efforts.
6. Keep good payables records. They should include weekly updates about the aging of every outstanding bill; documentation that matches each bill paid with its original sales order, delivery records, and payment invoice; and total cost records, including interest penalties paid on each bill. The last is important because, as James Greenfield, management consultant with The Wharton Resource Group, emphasizes, "most businesspeople don't realize how much it adds to their cost of doing business when they wind up having to pay interest charges to finance late payables."
7. Review payables records regularly. Payables reports are every bit as important as other cash-flow documents and need to be evaluated by all relevant personnel. (Depending upon a company's structure, that may include the CEO or controller, sales managers, and, if they exist, accounts-payable and accounts-receivable supervisors.) Generally speaking, you should review payables-aging schedules weekly; cost records can be evaluated monthly.
8. Recognize warnings signs. Since cash-flow cycles vary even in the best of times, there may be times when your payables get stretched without any long-term risk. But it's essential for someone in top management to keep an eye out for indications of more serious problems. (See "Warning Signs," next page.) One approach is to draw up a "payables problems" checklist, which breaks down average bill age, promptness of tax payments, any interest charges, and other warning factors you come up with for your company. To keep everyone informed, circulate the list each month to all managers, including your sales manager.
9. Fraud-proof the payables operation. "CEOs should never underestimate the importance of installing safeguards to prevent people within the organization from looting payables," says Paul Parish. "Fraud can be one of the most common problems growing companies encounter in their accounts-payable operations."
To minimize the risks, you should formalize payment procedures that should include double checks at each step of the process: bills should be paid only when they can be matched against purchase orders and delivery confirmations; one person should write or authorize checks while another signs them; computerized bill-payment systems should be ac-cessed only by computer code. If you rely on manual check-writing systems, keep blank checks under lock and key and track all numbers, including voided checks. If you make payments by wire transfer, establish bank procedures that ensure proper control over such transfers. "The best defense of all against fraud -- and it's one that an amazing number of smaller companies overlook -- is to make certain the checkbook balances each month," Parish advises.
Heading for accounts-payable problems? Here are five typical symptoms
* Aged payables: Most financial experts agree that companies are heading for trouble when their bills start becoming, on average, 45 to 60 days overdue. (The only exception: bills whose issuers have approved late-payment terms without interest penalties, in advance at order time.) "At 60 days, you've got to sit down and figure out which vendors you absolutely, positively must stay current with and start paying them anyway you can," emphasizes management consultant James Greenfield of The Wharton Resource Group.
* Interest penalties: Cash-savvy chief executives never box themselves in to paying interest charges on overdue bills -- unless they've already calculated clear financial benefits from using their funds elsewhere. Once you're paying penalties to even one or two vendors on a regular monthly basis, you're in trouble. Instead, you should approach your creditors about a workout plan that will reduce or perhaps eliminate hefty interest charges.
* Disorganization: "You know your whole system is heading for disaster when unpaid bills get thrown into someone's desk instead of entered into a record-keeping system that will keep aging bills so that management can track their payment," says CPA Ron Weiner of Weiner Associates. (For tips on software products that will correct this problem, see "Resources," page 3.)
* Overdue taxes: As Danny Sullivan of Village Shoes learned the hard way, skipping tax payments -- even with the best of intentions -- is a sure road to disaster. If your payroll, corporate federal, or state taxes are late, pay them immediately, even if it means keeping vendors waiting. If you dispute your tax bill, pay it anyway and then fight for a refund; that's the only way to eliminate the risk of costly penalties and interest charges.
* Hassles from creditors: If your only form of communication with vendors is being on the receiving end of hot-tempered telephone calls, chances are, you're suffering from problems of your own creation. Instead, "make it a habit to communicate informally with your creditors whenever you think a cash-flow crunch might be developing," urges Greenfield. "If you tell them, 'Yes, we've got a problem, we recognize it, here's what we think we can do about it, and we think we need your help,' it's pretty likely you'll get it."


text:
Tustain Motors Ashington - 01670 813191
Test drive available at other locations.
Open 9:00am today!
This won't take long...
Your enquiry has been sent and we will contact you using the details provided as soon as possible!
Please complete the form below:
This Vauxhall Viva 5 door Hatchback registration NJ18WYM has a 1.0 Petrol engine with a Manual gearbox and boasts impressive fuel consumption of 61.4 mpg and is finished in the colour Quantum Grey. The CO2 emissions are extremely low at just 104 g/km.
18,527 miles
104 g/km
Specifications, mileage and prices are subject to change, please contact us to confirm before travelling or a purchase is agreed.
** MPG (Combined) figures are obtained from laboratory testing and intended for comparisons between vehicles. They are unlikely to represent real world efficiency.
Find out how much your vehicle is worth in an instant:
You may also be interested in...
01665 510088
01670 813191
01665 510088
of customers that bought a VAUXHALL VIVA would recommend them to a friend.
"The experience at Tustain Motors Haddington was great because Sandy who I dealt with was great."
"Tustain Motors Haddington were fantastic because I received the best of service from the sales team all the way through the process of buying my new car"
"Tustain Motors Alnwick were fantastic and would highly recommend to others, services was great didn't have to do anything, They made it easy to purchase my van "
"Tustain Motors Hawick were really helpful and I'd recommend them because the first purchased my third vehicle from Hawick Tunstain Motors I found Sales man and staff very welcoming and helpful, always taking the time to speak to me. "
"I'd recommend Tustain Motors Alnwick to anyone because it's local, good range of vehicles and a good deal all round."
"Staff were very helpful and friendly."
"I had a great experience at Tustain Motors Alnwick because Because the team where very good to use "
"The experience at Tustain Motors Haddington was fantastic because the salesman was excellent & friendly"
"I would recommend Tustain Motors Berwick to friends and family because of the friendly and trustworthy attitude"
"I would recommend Tustain Motors Berwick to friends and family because Everything went so smoothly"


text: Im not saying this jokingly either this could actually happen where Kuhn can make this team over Duce. I think at this point based on the way both guys have ran and played thus far in 2 games you keep Kuhn and cut Duce. One your going to save a lot of salary if you let Duce go one year earlier then next year when you do it for sure. Second, Kuhn has been on the practice squad all last year and knows the offense and has practiced with the team quite often and has a ring. He is a lot younger and cheaper then Duce at this point and from what I have seen so far he has been a lot better. I still think you make Haynes the 3rd and short yardage back if you cut Duce, but it should still not excuse the fact that right now based on play in these first 2 games that John Kuhn has played and ran much better then Duce Staley. And right now he looks like a much better option in all areas then Duce is. Duce to me right now looks like a guy who doesnt care anymore and doesnt even want to be here. I think if he doesnt show something in these next 2 games he could be in trouble. Will just have to wait and see.


text:
This is the season to pick your own fruit! We've done this twice now. Last year we picked apples when J was 2.5 years. This month we picked strawberries. This is such a great activity. For someone like me who can't manage to grow anything, this is the only way he'll probably ever see for himself where our food comes from (other than the grocery story!)
He'd much rather sleep in his crib.
Of course he loved enjoying the reward of his hard work too!
I've found this website helpful in searching for farms where you can pick your own fruit/vegetables. They have maps of each state so you can find farms for your specific county. For those like me who are completely ignorant about which foods are harvested in which season, they also have harvest dates for your region.


text:
Home > Speed Camera Database > Scotland > Strathclyde
Nearest Town/village: Kilwinning
Road Name: Stevenston Road
Direction of Camera: Both directions
Speed Limit: 30mph
Speed Camera Details: Heading into Kilwinning coming from Stevenson just before Bus Stop and Petrol Station.
Camera reference number: SCS057
View all camera locations in Strathclyde
Can you improve the speed camera location information above? All speed camera locations on SpeedCamerasUK.com have been submitted by UK motorists. If you can add more detail, please use the buttons below. For help with using the database please see our user guide. This database is freely available for and updated by UK motorists.
Update location Add photo and/or video Submit new location
View speed cameras locations in other regions and counties in Scotland:The Scottish Borders
To view all UK speed cameras click here.
The above camera location uses a Gatso camera. The static Gatso is the most widely used camera in the UK and uses radar technology.
Being caught speeding by a Gatso will result in a minimum 3 penalty points and £100 fine, or if available a driving awareness course.
Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership aims to help reduce the number of road crash casualties at recognised accident locations in the West of Scotland. The Partnership operates a combination of fixed, mobile and red light camera sites and a SPECS average speed camera system on the A77. Learn more.
Cheetah c550 Platinum provides advanced alerts to speed and red light cameras and includes unlimited lifetime speed camera updates.
The Cheetah c550 is one of many speed cameras detectors you can buy from SpeedCamerasUK.com. View the shop.


text:
Here at SpoilerTV we allow you to personalize your experience by allowing you to customize various items on the site. Close the popup to save your changes
Background Colour Picker
Thumbnail Type
NoneGrid (3 cols)Grid (Beta)
NoneGrid (3 cols)Grid (Beta)
Theme Color
Light (Default)
Dark (Beta)
Light (Default)
Dark (Beta)
Unread Indicator
Unread Off (Default)
Unread On
Unread Off (Default)
Unread On
Banner Selector
All you need to do is to put a link to your banner in the box below and press the Click Button. (For best results your image should be 1090px wide and 200px high.). We have more banners in our Banner Gallery here.


text:
Glenn Greenwald
London Guardian
January 5, 2013
Last month, outgoing pentagon general counsel Jeh Johnson gave a speech at the Oxford Union and said that the War on Terror must, at some point, come to an end:
"Now that efforts by the US military against al-Qaida are in their 12th year, we must also ask ourselves: How will this conflict end? . . . . 'War' must be regarded as a finite, extraordinary and unnatural state of affairs. We must not accept the current conflict, and all that it entails, as the 'new normal.' Peace must be regarded as the norm toward which the human race continually strives. . . .
"There will come a tipping point at which so many of the leaders and operatives of al-Qaida and its affiliates have been killed or captured, and the group is no longer able to attempt or launch a strategic attack against the United States, that al-Qaida will be effectively destroyed."
On Thursday night, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow interviewed Johnson, and before doing so, she opined as follows:
"When does this thing we are in now end? And if it does not have an end — and I'm not speaking as a lawyer here, I am just speaking as a citizen who feels morally accountable for my country's actions — if it does not have an end, then morally speaking it does not seem like it is a war. And then,our country is killing people and locking them up outside the traditional judicial system in a way I think we maybe cannot be forgiven for."
It is precisely the intrinsic endlessness of this so-called "war" that is its most corrupting and menacing attribute, for the reasons Maddow explained. But despite the happy talk from Johnson, it is not ending soon. By its very terms, it cannot. And all one has to do is look at the words and actions of the Obama administration to know this.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!


text:
Just wanted to thank a few people.
I did a really impromptu contest and gave away a free bikeblognyc t-shirt to my 1500th follower on twitter.com.
Congratulations to Steve Ferdman of Hell's kitchen for plugging in at the right time.
A while back I had a contest to give away sun care […]


text: We will consider the following 6 "big" philosophical questions in this course: 1. What is the nature of a mind? 2. Does God exist? 3. What is the nature of a person? 4. Do humans possess free will? 5. Are there limits on human knowledge? 6. What is the basis of morality? These questions do not admit of easy answers and have engaged people for millennia without resolution. So, our goal for the course is not to settle these questions once and for all (though it would be exciting if we could do that!). Instead, our goal is the more modest one of determining how we might go about answering these questions for ourselves. By understanding and analyzing answers people have proposed throughout history, we'll develop an ability to provide a rational argument in support of a position while also learning about many key figures from throughout the Western philosophical tradition. This is an ONLINE COURSE. The course syllabus, directions, and materials will be posted to an online course website. Students will be expected to access the documents at this course site and participate regularly in the online forum as well as interactive live discussions at the meeting times listed. Technology requirements may be found at: //http://online.sas.upenn.edu//


text:
Got a question about your bill? Have forms you need to submit? Need advice about registering for classes? Tired of bouncing from office to office? The One Stop is your solution!
In order to provide our students services with maximum efficiency and a minimum of confusion, the One Stop has been established representing the Offices of the Registrar, Financial Aid, Academic Affairs, and Student Accounting. The One Stop is the starting point for all IIT students (prospective, new and continuing) seeking administrative and academic assistance.
Located at the end of the MTCC bridge, next to the Commons, the One Stop is open 8:30 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday.
If you can't find what you are looking for below, stop by the One Stop office, call us at 312.567.3810, or email us.
- Interpretation of Academic Rules and Procedures
- Change of major/declaration of major
- Advising assistance
- Leave of absence process
- Reinstatement to the university
- Undergraduate academic audit requests
- Enrollment certification
- Transcript requests
- FERPA release submission
- Application for graduation submission
- Student petitions
- Billing questions
- TouchNet payments
- Student federal aid refunds
- Financial Aid and/or Student Accounting form submission